Paint it black
by finmagik
Summary: Withnail & I March of 1970 after the movie. Withnail visits Marwood in Manchester. He has to be invited in now and his not interested in drugs, booze or cigarettes. What's changed? Withnail is a new vampire now, he wants to share his 'gift' with Marwood.


It was a cold March night in 1970.

Marwood had been living in Manchester the play was going well. His flat was neat, well much more clean then from the day he lived with Withnail. At least the level filth is that of normal bachelor. The reviews have been good. As for Withnail he dropped off the map.

Not that Marwood cared, he told himself he didn't. No word at all. So that's why when the door bell rang. He was surprised to see his old flatmate standing in the doorway. Withnail looked better, cleaner at least, but pale and that's saying something.

"Stop staring, aren't you going to let me in?" Withnail asked.

"Yes course," Marwood said.

Withnail doesn't move.

"Why aren't you coming in?" Marwood asked.

"You have to invite me in," sighed Withnail.

"Christ, when did you get so bloody formal?" Asked Marwood. Withnail gave him a look. "Fine I invite you in."

And Withnail strutted over the threshold. There was something different about him. Clothes for example, not old the same old worn suits, newer, also his coat had been laundered. There was a new energy about Withnail. Same sneer as he looked around the flat.

"I read about your little play," He said. "I think can offer you something better."

"Oh," Said Marwood. "What? Did your agent get you a job?"

"No." Withnail said. "I'm not acting currently. But it's a much better deal."

"Whatever you've been doing you, you look good." Marwood said. "You want a drink, a fag?"

"No. I'm done with drinking and smoking both are for wankers." Said Withnail.

This was odd, very odd. Withnail would drink and smoke just about anything. So why was turning down things that been such a part of his character for years? Maybe it was pose, a lie that he'd put on for whoever was paying him. Marwood felt ill at ease. Downstairs a dog started howling.

"So what do you want?" Marwood asked.

Withnail got closer and closer. "What I want is simple..."

This was not comfortable or safe or sane. The dog was howling still, louder and louder. And Withnail was inches away, he smelled like expensive cologne and faintly. like blood? Marwood was backing up almost flat against the wall.

"Now look here," Marwood said. "We've always been friends but you know I'm not... Not..."

Withnail put a hand up to touch him.

"Don't be so fucking coy." He sneered.

Marwood reached up to block Withnail's touch and shuddered the skin and flesh beneath it were cold as stone. "Christ, your arm it's like ice."

"Exactly," Withnail smiled, then there was odd sound like schink sound. And he revealed two pointed fangs.

And everything made sense, horrible, horrible sense. Marwood felt sick inside welling up in his stomach and making his knees weak as water. He shivered violently. He was about ready to piss himself.

"Oh fuck! This is joke right? Please this is a joke Withnail? TELL ME IT'S A FUCKING JOKE!" Marwood screamed.

"No," Withnail said calmly. "Don't be such a coward, I'm going to give you immortality."

"I don't want..." Marwood started.

But before he could blink his friend's long cold arms were around him pulling him into a crushing embrace. He felt Withnail's fangs rip into his neck. He cried out, he tried to fight but it was no use. And after a while he was to weak to struggle, to numb to fight, and everything swam, then went black.

He woke up with a sharp slap. Maybe this was a nightmare, is old life coming back to vividly haunt him. But he felt so frail and tired. And he opened his eyes. Withnail, his fanged mouth red, dripping with blood. His shirt off revealing the same toast rack chest as always but with dribbles of blood, his blood on it.

"Finally!" Withnail exclaimed. "I thought you'd never get up."

"No... please..." Marwood said.

Withnail ripped open his own arm, not without wincing. "Now this is my blood, drink."

And he shoved his pale, thin bleeding arm in his friend's face.

"Wha?" Marwood was to weak to think.

"Drink you fucker, or you'll die." Withnail said.

Marwood could remember the taste for the rest of existence. He didn't resist. Anything to avoid the ice coil of death which he could feel tightening around him. It tasted like burning whiskey, must, something sickly sweet with hints of rotting flesh. But once he had one sip of it, he couldn't stop as he drank he grew stronger and more aware. He clung to Withnail's arm. Then finally ,after a while, he was torn away with a shove. And a woman laughed.

"Now you stand vigil boy," said a smooth polished male voice. The accent to good to be natural.

"Do I have to?" Withnail whined

"Yes, I did it for you." Said the same voice.

"And you screamed like a girl," said the woman.

Withnail glared at her

Marwood looked up, he was aware of the two others. The other the vampires in the room. He looked up. There was dark, woman with long greasy black hair and heavily made up eyes. She wore a white linen dress. Something about her made him think: Egyptian. She reminded him of the pictures he'd seen. And the other a man with long blond hair, imperial, cold, classically handsome and in a powder blue suit.

And then came the pain, it burned in his veins like fire and his brain. He screamed, and writhed. The pain was more then he'd felt in his memory. Withnail sat there watching smirking faintly occasionally telling him 'stop being such a baby'

The transformation took hours, painful, horrible hours. He could feel the fangs appear in his gums like twin needles stabbing him, his body grow different...harder stronger, but none of it was pleasant. And no one warned him about how he'd piss, shit and vomit up everything that couldn't be changed: food, liquid, and bile. And in the end the pain grew so much he mercifully blacked out.

When he woke up, again there was something inside him. A hunger he'd never felt and a empty coldness. He had been changed. Also he was naked, in a different room, sitting on a chair. And standing there was a mousey woman with panic her eyes . He could hear her heart beat, smell her fear. Instead of wanting to tell her everything would be alright. He wanted more fear, a faster heartbeat. And in a moment that was bloody and awful. He was on her, she screamed and screamed. Until he ripped her throat out and greedily drank up every swallow of red, thick, warm, blood. it was amazing, bliss with everything viscous swallow.

And then it was over. And he felt like vomiting it up. He'd killed a person. She was dead, her eyes wide with terror, her lips still open in a scream. He'd done it devouring her like fish and chips. Why?

"Oh god, I'm a monster." he said quietly.

It was a hour later. The door opened Withnail walked in smirking.

"So how was your first meal?"

Marwood was still holding the cold, dead body of the woman.

"Her name was Marianne Gregson, she was 34, she worked as a secretary, she had two children a boy and a girl. It was all in her wallet. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME!"

"Stop that old man," Said Withnail. "We are better then them, now. They are nothing but dull, stupid, cows compared to us. "

"She was a mum," Marwood said. "Her children won't have a mum."

"So?" Withnail said. "What does it matter, there are lots of them all the same. Why aren't you grateful? Look what I did for you!"

"I DON'T WANT THIS!" Marwood shouted.

He'd gotten off the floor, he'd kill the fucker. He'd kill Withnail and then run into the sun-light or eat garlic or go to a church. And then he saw a drop of her blood, what was her name? He couldn't remember but the blood was still warm on his skin. And he licked it off. It felt so good, better then sex or drugs or a meal. He bit his lips to stifle a moan.

Withnail smirked again. "You love it. You were born for this."

"Fuck you!" Marwood shouted.

"Fine if that's the attitude you have, I'll leave you here." Withnail said.

"Fine," Said Marwood. "Go on, slink off you always do. You can't ever clean up the mess you make."

"How dare you! I gave you immortality and this what you say!" Said Withnail.

"I didn't ask for it!" Marwood said.

"Neither did I!" Withnail said. "One moment I was pissing against a wall after getting throughly arseholed. The next Mynatt had his fucking fangs in my throat! I didn't even see the fucker! No matter what I said he wouldn't let me go."

"Oh," said Marwood.

"And vampires can't get drunk or smoke," Withnail said bitterly. "It does nothing for me."

And then Marwood started to laugh.


End file.
